Venice (Becalmed) 1882

Curator: Standing before us is Joseph DeCamp's "Venice (Becalmed)", painted in 1882, an exquisite oil on canvas rendering of the Venetian lagoon. Editor: My initial reaction is… stillness. A kind of serene melancholia, actually. The muted blues and greys, those soft clouds… it's like time itself is holding its breath. Curator: Indeed. DeCamp captures a particularly Venetian mood, doesn't he? Note the brushstrokes – thick impasto giving a sense of palpable atmosphere and light playing on the water's surface. It speaks of a quiet morning. Editor: I’m interested in what that stillness represents materially. Becalmed, sure, evoking serenity, but also economic stagnation. Venice, then as now, depends so much on maritime trade and movement, so what are these boats doing when they're stuck? Consider, too, the labour involved. Those sails aren't self-furling, are they? Someone's been hauling lines here. Curator: It’s tempting to see that labor you mentioned represented more atmospherically than literally; it certainly resonates within the stillness. I see it more like he captured the pause before creation, like that instant before the universe begins where nothing is one infinite potential. Editor: That “infinite potential,” if you're talking about the potential for commerce and trade, exists solely because of the wood used for the ships, the hemp and flax for the sails and rope, and of course, the invisible hands of Venetian sailors. How much time has DeCamp spent investigating the maritime industries here, or has he purely concentrated on their outward beauty? Curator: That's a fascinating angle. But whether or not he focused specifically on such industry, he undoubtedly captures a specific materiality through his manipulation of oil paints – I feel that that much, at least, shows awareness and understanding. I guess you might say DeCamp translated labour to canvas and then transcended it to this… pause… that the viewer now encounters. Editor: Hmm. I would concede that his layering and impasto style create a dynamic texture. You see this a lot with plein-air, and DeCamp’s use of those strategies gives “Venice (Becalmed)” a raw, handmade feeling that’s central to its appeal. Perhaps his vision helps viewers appreciate those essential elements. Curator: Perhaps... It’s certainly an intimate dialogue; it’s not every day we catch Venice napping! Editor: Exactly, and not every artwork pushes you to consider all that sustains the scenes before your eyes.